NUFC merry-go-round

Last updated: 4th September 2008  

NUFC merry-go-round

Who next at St James'

Kevin Keegan: - February 1992 to January 1997
Kenny Dalglish: - January 1997 to August 1998
Ruud Gullit: August 1998 to August 1999
Sir Bobby Robson: September 1999 to August 2004
Graeme Souness: September 2004 to February 2006
Glenn Roeder: February 2006 to May 2007
Sam Allardyce: May 2007 to January 2008
Kevin Keegan: January 2008 to September 2008.

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Skysports.com looks back at the merry-go-round that has been the hot-seat at Newcastle United.

We look at who has been and gone at Newcastle over the past quarter of a decade since Kevin Keegan's arrival at the club.

Kevin Keegan

Keegan returned to the club he graced as a player in a blaze of glory and lead them to the top-flight and to the brink of Premier League glory.

Everyone's 'second club' - Keegan's side were loved and feared in equal measure. He left after five years at the helm.

Kenny Dalglish

Dalglish arrived at the club and led them to second place. His side performed well in the Champions League and also made the FA Cup final, which they lost to Arsenal.

Was sacked by chairman Feddie Shepherd after two draws in the first two games of the 1998/99 season.

Ruud Gullit

Gullit arrived on Tyneside promising 'sexy football' but it was not to be - despite another FA Cup final appearance.

He fell out with local hero Alan Shearer and Robert Lee. In defeat to local rivals Sunderland, he dropped Shearer. He resigned three days later just five games into the new season.

Sir Bobby Robson

The only manager apart from Keegan in recent years to last more than one full season at the helm.

Like Keegan, Sir Bobby was loved by the fans as he played the football they wanted and produced the results.

Robson guided Newcastle from the bottom of the table to fourth-place in his first season in charge. He then led them into the Champions League the following year.

He finally left in August 2004, when again Shepherd acted after a poor start to a season.

Graeme Souness

A controversial appointment from the off, Souness was never really wanted by the Newcastle public after he was lured away from Blackburn.

Souness's first season was poor in the league, but they came close in the Uefa and FA Cups.

Souness was given some praise for luring Michael Owen to the club in August 2005 - but the signings of players like Albert Luque and Jean-Alain Boumsong meant he would not last much longer.

His unpopular reign came to an end in February 2006 with the fans calling for his head.

Glenn Roeder

Was Youth director at the club when he was initially appointed on a caretaker basis - but was given the job on a permanent basis after impressing and guiding them to seventh in the table.

Newcastle came through the InterToto Cup at the start of the following year under Roeder but a poor end to the season saw him quit his role after a meeting with Shepherd.

Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce was always linked to Newcastle and following his resigation from Bolton, he was soon appointed manager at St James' Park.

He made an immediate impact by axing a host of players and signing Mark Viduka from rivals Middlesbrough.

Newcastle started the season well, but a poor run over Christmas led to speculation he could be in danger of losing his job and in January he parted company with the club.

The fans never took to Allardyce, mainly because of his style of play but new owner Mike Ashley seemingly also wanted his own manager.

Kevin Keegan

Just as he did the first time, Keegan returned to the club in a blaze of glory as Ashley appointed the fans' choice.

However, it was soon apparent all was not well on the banks of the Tyne - with Ashley bringing in his own backroom staff with Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez appointed appointed above Keegan.

Reports always suggested that the new set-up did not sit well with Keegan and he left the club on September 4th - confirming he did not have sufficient control of club affairs.